US to seek automated braking requirement for heavy trucks

U.S. auto safety regulators say they will move to require or set standards for automatic emergency braking systems on new heavy trucks

DETROIT -- In a reversal from Trump administration policies, U.S. auto safety regulators say they will move to require or set standards for automatic emergency braking systems on new heavy trucks. The Department of Transportation, which includes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, announced the change Friday when it released its spring regulatory agenda. It also will require what it said are rigorous testing standards for autonomous vehicles, and set up a national database to document automated-vehicle crashes. The moves by the administration of President Joe Biden run counter to the agency's stance under President Donald Trump. NHTSA had resisted regulation of automated-vehicle systems, saying it didn't want to stand in the way of potential life-saving developments. Instead it relied on voluntary safety plans from manufacturers.